Hydraulic elevator



(No Model.) I 4Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. A. WORCESTER.

' HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR. I No. 499,276. Patented June 13, 1893.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. A. WORCESTER. HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

Patented June 13, 1893.

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S. A, WORCESTER. HYDRAULIG ELEVATOR.

N0. 499,276. Patented June 13, 1898.

wwde w W 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. S. A. WORCESTER. HYDRAULIC ELEVATQR.

Patented June 13, 1893.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. \VORCESTER, OF LEADVILLE, COLORADO.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,276, dated June 13, 1893.

Application filed April 28 1892. Serial No. 431,037. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. WORCESTER, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Leadville, in the county of Lake and State of 0010- rado, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Elevators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 represents a view of the elevator car and the devices for operating the controlling rope; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the main cylinder and the valves connected therewith; Fig. 3, a view of the valve arrangement enlarged; Fig. 4, a detail sectional view of the main and controlling valves; Fig. 5, a plan view of the main-valve and connections, the controlling valve being removed; Fig. 6, an end view of the main and controlling valves; and Figs. 7 and 8 vertical sectional views of the controlling valve taken at right angles to each other. Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrammatical views showing the various relative positions assumed by the main and controlling valves.

The nature and objects of the invention f ully appear in the course of this specification.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the elevator car which is suspended in the usual manner in the shaft. 'Pivoted at its lower end at a suitable place in the car is a lever 2 which carries a loose pulley 3 at a suitable point between its ends, over which pulley the controlling-rope 4 runs. The upper end of this lever is held in its adjusted positions by means of a movable bolt 5 adapted to engage any oneof a series of notches formed in blocks or collars 6 secured adj ustably (by means of set-screws or otherwise) upon a stationary quadrant 7 in the car. There is one block for each floor of the building and they are numbered to correspond with the diiferent floors, the first one to the right being numbered to correspond to the first floor, the second to the second floor of the building, and so on from the right to the left end of the quadrant. The controllingrope is secured at its upper end to one of the beams at the upper end of the shaft and at its lower end is connected to the horizontal arm of an angle-lever S which is connected to the valve mechanism, as hereinafter described, the rope being normally drawn taut and the longer arm of said lever being drawn down by means of a weight 9, or other device, secured to the end of the longer arm. The rope passes loosely over a pair of separated pulleys 1O journaled at one side of thecar and is carried over the pulley on the lever to form alateral loop in it, wherebythe weighted arm of the lever 8 may be readily raised or lowered by moving the lever to the left or to the right on the quadrant, the two levers moving in unison, as is evident.

It will be observed that the rope, with exception of the looped portion, is always in a perpendicular position-in the shaft and that the movementof the car up or down does not affect the position of the levers as the rope passes freely over the pulleys. The notched blocks are made adjustable on the quadrant tocompensate for the slack that may take place in the rope and also in order that they may be made to accurately correspond to the different floors in the building in which the elevator is erected. Of course, the notches may be stationary, if desired, as the slack or lengthening of the rope may be compensated for in some other way. To counter-balance the weight of the rope and connected parts, so as to enable the operator to readily shift the lever, a strong retracting coil-spring 11 connects the operating lever to a stationary part of the car, as shown in Fig. 1, the action of this spring being to counteract the tendency of the weightand rope to pull the lever to the right. One or both of the ends of this spring are adjustably secured in order that its counterbalancing tendency may be varied to suit the exigencies of each particular case.

The bell-crank lever 8 is pivoted upon the rear end of the main operating cylinder 12 which is provided with the usual piston, crosshead and operating ropes and pulleys and is connected in the usual manner to the cylinder 13 of the main-valve. The shorter, vertical arm of the lever 8 is pivotally connected by means of a rod 14 to a vertical pivotal lever 15 about midway its ends, the upper end of this lever 15 being pivotally connected by a rod 16 to the upper end of a bell-crank 17 pivoted on the forward end of the main-cylinder. The horizontal arm of this lever 17 is provided with a roller 18 which works in a long inclined slot in a slide 19 which is mounted in suitable ways and rollers on the side of the cylinder and secured at its forward end to the cross-head of the main-piston, so as to move in unison with the same. The lower end of the lever (which lever is supported by the rod 14, this latter rod being supported by a headed bolt or pin 14 secured on the main ,cylinder and working in a slot in the rod) is pivotally connected to a rod 20 which in turn is adj ustably connected to a short vertical lever 21 pivot-ally supported on the valve rod 22 of the main-valve 13. The upper end of lever 21 is connected by a link 23 to a slide 24 adapted to operate the valve controlling; the admission of water to the ends of the main-valve cylinder. This slide 24 works in suitable ways 25 on the upper side of the valve-cylinder 13 and it is provided with a horizontal slot extending nearly its entire length, said slot being divided into two parts about midway its ends, one part being in a higher horizontal plane than the other part and connected to it by a short inclined portion, the slot being of the same width throughout its length.

The slide works through a vertical slot in the lower end of the vertical valve-cylinder 26 bolted to the cylinder 13, the wear of the slide being compensated for by an adjustable plate 27 carried by the cylinder 26 and hearing against the upper edge of the slide, suitable set-screws and inclined lugs being provided to adjust itaccurately against the slide.

Working in and accurately fitting the slot in the slide is a roller 28 journaled in the lower bifurcated stem 29 of the verticallyworking valve 30. This valve 30 works in the vertical cylinder 26 and is constru eted of an axial bolt screwed into the part 29 and carrying a series of three pistons 31, 32, 33, separated by interposed cast spools on the bolt and accurately fitting the cylinder. The lowest piston, which is secured on the bolt just above the part 29, serves simply as a stufiing box to prevent leakage of water through the lower end of the cylinder, while the other two pistons, when the valve is raised, as in Fig. 4, serve to cover the ports 34 and 35 formed in the cylinder. The upper part of the valve cylinder 26 is enveloped in a cylinder or jacket 36 which is rigidly secured to the cylinder and has its upper end closed by a removable screw-plug 37. The ports 34 and f 35 are respectively connected to the cylinder 13 near its respective ends by independent pipes 38 and 39. Supply pipes 40 and 41 lead into the valve cylinder, the former at a point above the port 34 and the latter at a point below the middle piston 32, this latter pipe communicating with an annular port 42 formed in the cylinder below the port 35. The two supply-pipes 40 and 41 are joined to a common pipe 43 which is provided with a globevalve 44 and communicates with the supplyport 45 of the main-valve cylinder 13.

Communicating with an exhaust port 46,

formed in the valve-cylinder between the ports 34 and 35, is an exhaust pipe 47, which is provided with a globe-valve 48 and communicates with a pipe 49 which latter pipe communicates with a branch pipe 50 leading into the exhaust port 51 of the main-valve.

The main -valve in cylinder 13 is constructed of four pistons 51, 52, 53 and 54, which are secured and properly spaced on the stem or rod 22 by suitable cast spools. The end piston 51 works between the pipe 39 and exhaust-port 51 and the other end-piston 54 Works between the supply-port 45 and the pipe 38, while the intermediate pistons work respectively over the exhaust and inlet ports and on each side of the port or passage 55 leading into the main operating-cylinder 12. The ends of the pipe 49, which extends the full length of the valve-cylinder 13, communicate with the respective ends of the same through passages 56. Inwardly opening valves 57 normally close these passages 56, the stems of these valves extending out through stufling-boxes in the heads of the cylinder and provided with coil springs 58 to normally hold them to their seats. A sliding yoke or rod 59 is mounted in boxes 60 on one side of the valve-cylinder and has its ends bent around behind the outer ends of the stems of the valves 57 so as to contact or nearly contacttherewith. This yoke is connected by pivotal links 61 to one end of a horizontal lever 62 pivoted about midway its length on the outer end of the valve stem 22, the other end of this 1ever 62 being connected by a long pivotal rod 63 to the lower end of a pendent arm 64 pivoted on the forward end of the main-cylinder 12 alongside the slide 19. This arm swings close to the outer side of the slide in the path of the two adjustable dogs or stops 65 secured at or near the ends of the slide so that as the slide nears either extremity of its stroke one of the stops strikes the arm and swings it on its pivot for a purpose hereinafter explained. A rod 66, having interposed in it a contractile coil spring 67, connects the slide 24 to a suitable stationary point near the forward end of the main cylinder, in order that the Wear at the points of connection between the parts 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 18, 17, 16 and 15, 14 and 8 will be taken up and vibration and back-lash prevented, the tendency of the spring being to draw the parts together. The valve cylinder 13 is lined with a suitable brass cylinder 68 perforated opposite the ports 45, 51 and 55, as shown.

Operation: When the car is at rest at any point in the shaft, the valves and other parts are in the position shown in Fig. 4that is, the roller 28 attached to the controlling-valve 35 is in the inclined portion of the slot in slide 24 and the pistons of the valve cover the ports 34 and 35 and the two intermediate pistons 52 and 53 of the main valve cut oif communication between the main supply and exhaust passages and the passage 55 leading into the cylinder. parts are always in these positions when the elevator car is at rest no matter at what point in the shaft the car may be. In the position shown in Fig. 1 the car is at rest at the third floor of the building. To descend, the operator simply disengages the lever from the block No. 3 and moves it to the right and engages it with notch No. 2 or N o. 1, according to which of these floors he desires to stop at. Thus moving the lever to the right permits the weighted arm of lever 8 to descend until the rope is drawn taut, which action serves to push the rod 14 forward and swing the lower end of lever 15 forward, the pivotal connection at the upper end of this lever 15 serving as its fulcrum in this movement. this lever swings forward it carries with it the slide 24 of the controlling valve, through the medium of the rods and 23 and the vertical lever 21 fulcrumed on the mainvalve rod 22, thereby causing-the roller on the controlling valve to pass into the lower part of the slot and draw said valve down to the position shown in Figs. 7 and 8, which movement of the valve puts the supply pipe into communication with the pipe 38,1eading into the forward end of the valve-cylinder 13 and the exhaust port 46 into communication with the pipe 39 leading from the rear end of the cylinder. The water from supply-passage 38 then flows in in front of the end piston 54 and forces the main-valve to the left the desired distance, the water in the rearend of the cylinder behind piston 51 being forced out through pipes 39, 47, 48 and 50 into the main exhaust passage 51. As the main valve moves to the left, piston 52 uncovers the desired area of the exhaust port and permits the water from the passage 55 leading from the main-cylinder 12 to escape at the desired speed, and as the water escapes the main piston in cylinder 12 moves inwardly and permits the elevator car to descend the desired distance. The main valve continues to move to the left and the slide 24 is forced back to its central position, whereby the controlling valve is raised far enough to close ports 34 and 35, whereupon the main-valve is momentarily stopped by the closing of pipes 38 and 39, as is evident. The slide 24 is thus forced to the right, while the main valve is moving to the left, by means of the long slide 19, which operates through the medium of the bell-crank 17, rod 16, lever 15, rods 20 and 23, and lever 21, this latter lever being fulcrumed on the rod of the main-valve. The slide 24 does not stop at its central position but-by the continued descent of the car continuesto move to the right until it passes its central position (seeFig. 10), whereupon the pistons of the controlling valve are raised above their respectiveportsby the passage of the roller 28 into the higher portion of the slot, Whereupon thesupply-pipe 41 is put in communicationwith the left end of the main-valve The valves and connected 7 cylinder through pipe 39, and the right end of the cylinder is put in communication with the exhaust pipe 47. The supply pressure is thusremoved and put upon piston 51, which moves the main-valve back to its central position and thereby stops the elevator-car by shutting off. the exhaust port 51 from the main cylinder. WVhile the main-valve is thus returning toits central position, the slide 24 is slowly returning to its central position, through the medium of the lever 21, (the pivot on the rod 20 serving as its fulcrum,) and the rod 23. This function of the parts 21 and 23, in utilizing the return movement of the main-valve to returnthe slide to its 1 central position, is not affected by the continued slow movement to the right of the rod 20, as this rod is connected to the lever 21 at such a point that the slide will becompelled to move in the opposite directionfrom rod 20, as shown in Fig. 10. The relative movement of the parts may be nicely adjusted and regulated by the adjustable connection between the rod 20 and lever 21. The parts are so adjusted that the controlling valve will be brought down so as to entirely cover the ports 34 and 35 just as the main-valve reaches its central position, whereby both valves will automatically come to rest and the car stopped at the desired floor. To ascend the operator in the car simply throws the lever 2 over to the left and engages it with the notch corresponding to the floor he desires to stop at, whereupon the weighted arm of the leverS will be raised and the slide 24' will be thrown, by the intermediate connections described, the desired distance to the right, which action will raise the controlling valve and put the exhaust pipe 47 in communication with the pipe 38 and the pipe 39 will be put in communication with the lower supply-pipe 4l,whereupon the mainvalve will be forced in the manner described to the right far enough to put the supply-port 45 into communication with the cylinder-port 55 and thereby permit the supply water to flow into the main cylinder and force the piston thereof outwardly. As the piston moves outwardly and the car ascends, the long slide 19 moves outwardly and by means of the bellcrank and connections already described, pushes the slide 24 back past its central position lowering the controlling valve and cansing the main-valve to return to its central position and bring all parts to the position shown in Fig. 4, as described in descending. It will be observed that whenthe slide 24 is moved sufficiently the main valve moves or follows in the same direction till it strikes the cylinder head and is held in that position by the pressure from the controlling valve. Merely closing the controlling-valve. will not operate the main valve but will absolutely prevent any movement of the main-valve, there being no escape for the water held be tween the end pistons and the cylinderheads except by the operation of the relief valves 57 which can occur only at two extremesof the elevators travel and should occur, if they are properly adjusted, only in case of accident to the controlling gear as hereinafter set forth. The main valve is always moved or held by pressure from the controlling-valve except in case of a remotely possible accident.

In starting the car either up or down, the distance through which it travels in attaining its full speed, may be regulated by the valve 44 in the supply pipe 43, as it is evident that the suddenness of the start will depend altogether upon the speed with which the main-valve is moved. On the other hand, the suddenness of the stopping of the car may be readily regulated by adjusting the rod 20 up or down upon the lever 21, (a slot being provided in the latter for this purpose) as it is evident that the suddenness of the arresting movementwhether the car he going up or down-will be determined by the rapidity with which the main-valve is returned to its central position. To give the lever 21 a long throw and thereby return the valve quickly and arrest the car more suddenly, the rod 20 is adjusted upwardly while to provide for a longer and more gradual stop it is adjusted downwardly as is evident.

The advantages of an elevator of this character are apparent. The operator in this car in starting simply has to adjust the controlling-lever in the notch corresponding to the floor he desires to stop at whereupon the car, without any further attention or manipulation, starts gradually and moves to the desired floor and accurately and automatically stops there, where it is held by the controlling mechanism, creeping up or down from leakage being prevented, as the slightest leakage afiects the valve gear. This is the essential feature of the invention and I desire, in asmuch as it is broadly new, not to be confined to the construction shown and described.

Another essential feature is the safety-devices on the cylinder of the main-valve and operated by the movement of the long-slide 19, these devices operating as follows: In case an accident to the mechanism should prevent the main-valve being moved back to its central position at the desired stopping point and the car should travel to the top or bottom of the shaft, one or the other of the dogs on the long-slide (according to which direction the slide is moving) would strike the arm 64 and, through the medium of the rod 63,10- ver 62 links 61 and the yoke, force one of the safety or relief-valves inwardly and put that end of the valve-cylinder in communication with the exhaust pipes 49 and 50 and allow the pivoted lever 62 to shift the main valve to its central position and thereby stop the elevator. In descending the left stop 65 will strike the arm 64 and cause the yoke 59 to be drawn to the left, thereby opening the relief valve at the forward end of the cylinder and permitting the lever 62 to force the main valve to its central position. In ascending the right hand dog strikes the arm 64 and the operation of the parts is reversed as is obvious. The lever 62 being pivoted midway its length on the stem of the main valve, it will not interfere with its operation in the least, as the link connection of the lever to the yoke will permit the valve to move freely without operating the yoke.

It is evident from the foregoing that my invention is not confined to the specific construction shown, as the same may be varied greatly without departing from the spirit of the invention in the least.

Another important feature of this invention is its capability for practically unlimited speed. The speed of all other elevators having an automatic stop for each fioor is limited to the rate at which it is safe to strike tappets or other devices attached to the controlling ropesor valve-gear,whereas this valvegear has no striking contacts (excepting the safety-stops, which strike only in case of accidenta remote contingency) which renders possible any safe speed and almost any amount of careless handling without damage to the gear. This capacity distinguishes this invention from all others known to the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of an elevator-car, a main cylinder and piston, a main-valve cylinder connected to the main-cylinder and provided with a valve controlling the admission of water to the main-cylinder, a controllingvalve connected to this main valve and controlling the movements of the same, means on the car for operating this controlling-valve, and a series of levers connecting the controlling valve and the controlling mechanism to the main piston, so as to be operated automatically thereby, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a main-cylinder and elevator-car and connections, a main-valve connected to the main-cylinder, a controllingvalve controlling the movements of the mainvalve, connecting devices between the controlling valve and main-piston so as to be operated automatically thereby, and controlling devices on the carforshifting the controlling valve, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a main-cylinder, elevator-car and connections, a main-valve connected to the main cylinder and governing the admission and egress of water, a controlling valve for shifting the main-valve, controlling devices on the car for shifting the controlling valve, and connecting devices between the main-valve and controlling-valve and the piston of the main-cylinder whereby the controlling valve and main-valve will be operated automatically by the main-piston, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a main-cylinder and car and connections, a hydraulic main-valve connected therewith, a hydraulic controllingvalve connected to the main-valve and servends of the valve-cylinder, and means for op erating said controlling-valve, said means consisting of a plate movable with the mainplston and-a series of connected levers and rods, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the main cylinde and the main-valve cylinder connected there to, a hydraulically operated valve in this valve -cylinder, a reciprocating controllingvalve whose cylinder is connected to the mainvalve-cylinder, a slotted slide connected to and operating the controlling valve, means for operating the slide, said means being connected to and operated by the piston in the main-cylinder, and the main-valve and consisting of a series of levers and rods substantially as described.

7. The combination of a main cylinder, a main-valve connected thereto, a reciprocating controlling valve whose ports are connected to the main valve, a roller connected to the stem of the controlling-valve, a slide provided with a slot in which said roller works, said slot havingtwo main parts in different planes and a short inclined portion connecting the ends of the two main parts, and controlling devices for operating said slide, said devices being positively connected to and operated by the main piston and main-valve substantially as described.

8. The combination of a main-cylinder and piston, a main valve, a controlling valve, a slide for operating the controlling valve, a lever 21 connected to the stem of the main valve and to the slide, an operating rod 20 adj ustably connected to said lever, and means for reciprocating this rod 20 said means being connected to and operated automatically by the main-piston substantially as described.

9. The combination of a car, a main-cylinder, a main-valve connected thereto, a con- 10. The combination of a main cylinder and piston and cross-head, a slide connected to and moving in unison with the cross-head, this slide being provided with an inclined slot, a pivoted bell-crank lever having one arm engaged in this inclined slot, a main and controlling valve, and devices connectingthe controllingvalve to the other arm of said lever substantially as described.

11. The combination of a car, a main-cylinder, a main-valve, and controlling valve a movable lever 15 for operating these two valves, an angle-lever 8 having one of its arms connected to said movable lever between its ends and its'other arm weighted, a controlling-rope connecting the weighted arm to the car devices connecting the upper end of the lever 15 to the main-piston, devices connecting its lower end to the controlling valve and main-valve and devices for raising and lowering the rope, substantially as described.

12. The combination of the main-cylinder, and piston, the main-valve connected to the cylinder, and means for operating the main-' valve, relief-valve in the cylinder of the main valve and means for operating it, a movable arm connected to the means for operatingthe relief-valve, ,a movable plate connected to the cross-head on the main-piston rod, said plate carrying dogs adapted to strike said movable arm, substantially as described.

13. The combination of amain-cylinder and reciprocating hydraulic main valve, means for operating this valve, a normallyclosed relief-valve at each end of the cylinder of'this valve, a device adapted to operate either of these valves, and means for'automatically operating this device to open one of the valves when the main-piston nears either extremity of its stroke, substantially as described.

14. The combination of the main-cylinder and pistons, the hydraulic main-valve con: nected thereto, relief-valves in the ends of the cylinder of the main-valve, a yoke for operating' these valves, lever 62 pivoted on the stem of the main-valve and connected at one end to the yoke, and a rod connected to the other end of the lever 62 and operated by the.

movement of the main-piston, substantially as described. 7 I

15. The combinationof the main-cylinder, main-valve and controlling-valve, a slide for. operating this latter valve, a system of levers and rods for operating the slide-from the movement of the main-piston, and a retracting spring 67 connecting the slide to a stationary point forward of the lovers, as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I afifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL A. WOROESTER.

Witnesses:

FRANK BRooKs, WARREN B. RIDGLY. 

